﻿<p>The building element comprises all elements that are primarily part of the construction of a building, i.e., its structural and space separating system. Building elements are all physically existent and tangible things</p>

<blockquote class="extDef">
NOTE&nbsp; Definition from ISO 6707-1:<br>
Major functional part of a building, examples are foundation, floor, roof, wall.</blockquote>

<p>This <em>IfcBuildingElement</em> is a generalization of all elements that participate in a building system. Typical examples of <em><em>IfcBuildingElement</em> </em>'s are (among others):</p>
<ul>
 <li>building elements within a space separation systems </li>
 <li>building elements within an enclosure system (such as a facade) </li>
 <li>building elements within a fenestration system </li>
 <li>building elements within a load bearing system </li>
 <li>building elements within a foundation system </li>
</ul>

<blockquote class="example">EXAMPLE&nbsp; Building elements are walls, curtain wall, doors, columns, pile, and others.</blockquote>

<p>The <em>IfcBuildingElement</em> is an abstract entity that cannot be instantiated. For arbitrary building elements, that cannot be expressed by a subtype of <em>IfcBuildingElement</em>, use <em>IfcBuildingElementProxy</em>. 

<blockquote class="history">HISTORY&nbsp; New entity in IFC1.0</blockquote>